Star Wars: The Imperial
by Macpretzel
Summary: During the early growth of the galactic empire, It hired mercenaries for many outsourced jobs, and many bounties were placed on imperial heads. However, Mercenaries partake in a dirty business, that often makes them question their affiliation, their loyalties, and their morals. They frequently are forced to decide how far they'll go to earn their keep.


Name: Hann Baill

Species: Human

Affiliation: None

Occupation: Mercenary

Companions: None

Status: Healthy

Location: Mos Eisley Cantina, Tatooine

"About time, goggle-head. We were beginning to think that you wouldn't make it back tonight." Greedo says as I walk in exhausted and clearly in need of a break from business.

"And miss out on the bounties updating? Get out of the hangar gases, Greedo."

"It's you in the gases, Baill, showing up this late. Missed out on a great game of gravball. Where were you, anyway?" He asked, half interested in my response, half in a waitress walking past.

"Had some business. Almost got a good bounty, but some Mandalorian guy got it instead."

"How much?"

"46 thousand."

"A small crop? That would've cover the repairs on your ship! And that's saying something!" He claims sarcastically. I look at him, not entertained, as him and the rest of the bounty hunters at the bar counter chuckle and laugh.

"Very funny, Greedo. At least my ship can make it to warp speed without losing course." Remarks about his failing hyperspeed generator always shuts him up, as well as bringing more laughs from down the bar counter.

"It did that once, alright? I just need to get a couple of things replaced on the hyperdrive."

"You always need 'Just a couple parts'. Face it, Greedo, the thing's a suicide sled."

"Not yet. Repulsion generator's still running. Cannons are fine, thrust modules are fine, ejection lines stay pressurized enough to get out if I really need to."

"Yeah, but the second you try to leave the atmosphere you're basically a rejected protocol droid in a Jawa cave."

"Again, Baill, Get out of the gases. My ship will easily outclass yours in the black when it comes down to a ship fight. Your ship barely has properly working…" He says before getting cut off by a holo-announcement from an unmarked source.

"Attention all residents of Tatooine. Your planet is being officially annexed by the Galactic Empire. We will not harm you unless provoked to do so. We have no plans to cause conflict on your planet. Your homes will remain yours unless found to harbor enemies of the Empire. Do not attack the troops, as they will respond immediately with lethal force. The Empire thanks you for your cooperation."

"Now we've got bucketheads intruding too? What's next, a freaking Jedi?" Greedo exclaims angrily as the outrage spreads across the bar.

"Think of it this way, Greedo. More imperial bounties to be had."

"True as that is, I can't believe they're annexing us. Do they really need to take over our planet? I see no benefit on their part." He said, outraged.

"Just don't harass them, you'll be fine. As long as they don't try taking over by massacring, It's not that bad."

"Whatever. I'm going home." He said dismissively. "Are you still stopping by later to look at bounties, Baill?"

"Again, get out of the hangar gases. I'll be there."

"see you then." He said, clearly still upset, as he walked out of the cantina towards the desert homes nearby.

Little did he or I know how different my life would be had I not shown up.

Name: Hann Baill

Species: Human

Affiliation: None

Occupation: Mercenary

Companions: None

Status: Healthy

Location: Greedo's Home, Tatooine

"Mother of moons, you're actually on time!" Greedo exclaims sarcastically as I walk through the door into his home without knocking.

"I figured we could talk about what kind of bounties we want before they show up. Maybe bet on which ones will have been taken, which will have been done, and which will be reuploaded."

The Bounties on Tatooine are update once every other day. If a bounty is taken, and then the mercenary who took either resigns or is found dead, sometimes found dead after resignation, then the bounty is reuploaded and occasionally raised to increase incentive. Bounties are ranked on a very specific scale based on risk of injury, risk of death, distance required to travel, the overall lethality of the target, and the chance of success. Each factor is ranked 1-100, then the average of all factors is the composite score. the higher the score, the easier the target, and therefore the lower the pay. the lowest scores are the most dangerous targets but in exchange have extremely high payouts. those are generally the scores that one would find on things like political assassinations, high priority targets with a guard troop and/or decoy targets, and of course, Jedi and Sith. If interested, a mercenary can put in a bid on specific bounties. The client will usually invite 3-5 of the best mercenaries who bid to a small conference, where the client chooses which bounty hunter to hire. High scoring targets rarely require conference, nor do the low scoring ones.

"I'll put down 50 credits that Cain Sivron resigned from his bounty."

"Are you kidding? After being in that conference Boba Fett would have resigned! The dude is a freaking ex-imp!"

"So you're not taking the bet?"

"Greedo you need to lay off the damn spice. It's killing the brain you barely have."

"Ah, shut it, Hann. Not my fault that human brains develop quicker than Rodians."

"And sucking random things in doesn't help that development either"

"Oh will you just- mother of moons!" He says, shocked, as the bounties update.

"What happened?"

"Sivron didn't resign."

"What!? Is he dead?"

"No. He got half bounty. Couldn't get him alive, but he killed him still."

"Cain Sivron, one of the least reputable bounty hunters we know, managed to kill a former imperial officer?"

"That's what it says."

"The dude was a 42! He barely managed to take out an 83! how did he manage someone twice as dangerous!"

"Ask him while you can. He's bound to have a hefty bounty on his head now. The empire wants him dead, they'll gladly drop 15 thousand credits on him to get it done."

"I can't believe it." He says, still astonished, as he rises from his seat to grab a drink.

"Neither can I. Go on to the next bounty, would you? I'm looking to get paid too, you know? Can't let Sivron hold all the fame."

He proceeds to flip through the bounties, stopping every now and then on any scores in the low 70's or the 60's, both of us debating whether it's worth it. When suddenly, He stops on a bounty that we had both expected.

"Cain Sivron, Twi'lek, Bounty placed by the Galactic Empire" I read. "Wanted for the killing of a galactic officer, current payout at 11 thousand credits."

"Now we have to ask ourselves," Greedo interjected jokingly, "Are we really that close with him?"

"I might just have to buy a round in celebration of his bounty, and add a little 'spice' to his drink." I joked.

However, as we laughed and joked about a friend and fellow mercenary, I began to question my loyalty to him. After we had finished laughing and checking bounties, I decided to head home, as only one of the twin suns remained emitting light, and only by a little bit. Sleep seemed to evade me more than I would've pleased that night.

Name: Hann Baill

Species: Human

Affiliation: None

Occupation: Mercenary

Companions: None

Status: Healthy, Sleep Deprived

Location: Mos Eisley Cantina, Tatooine

When I got to the cantina, I could immediately tell that Cain Sivron had not arrived yet, primarily due to the fact that Greedo was not yet spiced. It takes little observation to know when someone has just completed a good bounty, because Greedo and all the other mercenaries pitch in to get spice and buy drinks to celebrate, with most intoxication happening late into the celebration, which as a generality lasts most of the day.

"Baill, you're just in time to give us your share of the credits to go towards the drinks for today!" Said Erran Bastra, the bartender. "Or did you actually decide to quit being so selfish and bring some spice?"

"I've got some spice today, I'm a little low on credits right now. That'll change after this set of bounties though. I put in a few bids after I left Greedo's last night."

"Ah, and who did you bid on?"

"You always ask me and I never tell. What makes you expect a change in the trend?"

"I was curious. A newbie decided to bid on Cain, but we're not telling him until tomorrow."

"Who's that?"

"Used a false name. Called himself Renegade. Was just curious if you had heard about it."

"Not at all. Thanks for letting me know though. Maybe I'll give him some power cells in case he needs to shoot someone."

"Why would I need to do that?"

I turned to see two Lekku and a tan face staring back at me, curious and confused.

"Seeing as you killed an ex-imp," I said, bantha-feeding "You'll be a target soon enough. You were in the bounties list when me and Greedo checked yesterday."

"I can't say I'm surprised, but it does suck. Whatever. It's the price of being a badass."

"Don't flatter yourself, Tail-head, You still can't beat my 39 That I managed to assassinate." Greedo interrupted.

"Yeah, but that was another merc. Mine was an ex-imp. Officer too." Cain responded.

"True, but he was old already. Probably ready to die on his own." I added.

"Hann's got you there, Tails. Next time try getting a currently ranked officer." Greedo said.

"You act like it was easy to kill him." He responded.

"I never said it was. I was simply saying-"

"Listen, Just approaching the planet I could already tell that this was not-"

"You can recount your tales of mercenary-like anti-heroism after the first round, Cain. Just relax. take some spice if it helps." I said dismissively, not wanting to listen to the same story twice.

As Cain went off to talk to everyone else, gratefully accepting congratulations all around, Greedo pulled me aside.

"Listen Hann, I'm telling you this because you are the person I trust most here. We need to find out who this 'Renegade' is and keep him from killing Cain. He's one of us. We can't just let someone take him out for a few credits."

I began to make a joke, then remembered the severity of the situation, and instead replied "I completely agree. But for now we can just celebrate and enjoy the fact that he's alive and managed a 42. Let's go join the party."

We both split up and simply enjoyed ourselves, Greedo looking many times more relaxed after a round of spice and a few drinks. However, as the time and intoxication went on, I felt myself less at ease and more tense than before, the general contradiction of what normally is supposed to happen. I consulted briefly with Greedo, informing him of the situation, and letting him know of my soon-to-be absence. I could not stay longer, otherwise my judgement would become too clouded and I would mistakenly reveal that which I did not want to.

The entire walk home, my conscience continued bearing down on me, and before long I became sick, throwing up between two houses discreetly. I hurried home and immediately checked the bounties. The bounty I had bid on was accepted, and the Client had requested a conference as soon as possible. It was too late to back out now. I would soon be regretfully wearing a new sneak suit I had bought before my last bounty, which none of my friends would have recognized me in, and donning a new personality. Soon enough, I would be killing one of my friends under the name of Renegade.


End file.
